“To be here and to be able to see how you stack up, it’s something I’m really looking forward to.

After a few weeks off the grid after the Alamo Bowl, Minshew is at the Senior Bowl preparing for yet another game.

“You’re going to be around a lot of great guys, players, coaches. You just want to soak up as much information that you can,” said Gardner. “Then you kind of learn through the experience as you go through. Every interview with a team you learn and get better, and then every work out with a team you’re going to learn what they want, and you’ll get better from that. All of it is just taking in information and then using it to better yourself.”

The Mississippi Mustache may not have the measurables that other quarterbacks do, but that doesn’t seem to matter much to Gardner, especially when he’s seen guys like Baker Mayfield have success in the NFL.

“You saw the #1 overall pick last year who’s just a shade over six foot. They’re actually looking at guys who can play football now, so that’s a good thing. I think that’s a good thing for me because I’m not going to come in and measure super great or anything, but when I go out there I can play football, and if that’s what they’re looking for then I think there’s a spot for me.”

Gardner also thinks he’s prepared because of where, or more specifically what program, he comes from.

“Everybody in the NFL uses our concepts. You ask Coach Leach, he says all 32 teams use us so to see the influence that he’s had on the game go upwards on that, it’s pretty special. It’s something I think that will help me as I move forward.“

At the end of the day, this is just another opportunity to overcome the circumstances.

Gardner’s proven over his winding collegiate career that he is a pro at that.

“I feel like I’ve always been overlooked. Everybody has their own sob story, whatever adversity they’ve had, but, you know, that’s something I carry with me. More than anything I’m not trying to prove anybody wrong, but prove the people who believed in me right.”

The Reese's Senior Bowl will be held on Saturday, January 28th at 11:30 PT. You can watch the game on NFL Network.